Sheet feeding mechanism



Dec. 22,l 1931.

J. VAN BUREN SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Nov l. 1929 Patented Dsc. 2z, 1931 UNITED stares JOHN'VANIBUREN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Application iled November This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanisms.

such as sheets of paper or wrappers, in wrapping machines. v In such machines the wrappers vare usually fed from a stack to feeding mechanism which in turn feeds them to the folding and wrapping devices. vIn other words, there fis one set of feeding means for withdrawing the sheets from the stack and other feeding mechanism forre-1` ceivin'g the sheets and feeding them to theV wrapping devices. Y 1,: In order to properly and evenly feed the u wrappers, it is essential that the wrappers be positively controlled at all times. 'Io accomplish this positive control, the mechanism for feeding the wrappers to the wrapping devices should receive the wrappers while they are still in the control of and are being fed by the feeding means by which they are withdrawn from the stack. In order to prevent'tearing of the wrappers during their 'transfer from one set of feeding means to the other set, both sets should Voperate at substantially vthe same rate of speed at this point in the operation of themachine. n

Subsequently, after receiving the wrap-v per, the feeding mechanism which` delivers the wrapper tov the/.wrapping devices should be speeded up since the wrapping devicesV operate at high speed and, furthermore, a

. gap or space should take place to permit the wrapper to vengage the articleto be wrapped before another wrapper movesinto position. Y f e When the wrapper is being delivered to a position to receive and wrap thearticlc, the

4 feed should again be slowed down,v for'theY delivery of the wrappers at a high rate of speed tends to crease or wrinkle the sheet y or wrapper and to throw it out of position.`

This invention has for its salient object to provide feeding mechanism forV receiving and feeding sheets, so constructed and arranged that the mechanism Awill receive, the sheets at a relatively slowrate of speed, will subsequently speed up,` and will then4 1, 1929. Serial No. 494,023.

slow down and'deliver the sheets at a rela.-V

,l Vtively slow rate of speed, without losing More particularly stated, y the invention` relates to mechanisms for feeding sheets,`

vide driving mechanism for sheet'feeding rolls, so constructed and arranged that'the rolls will be gradually speeded up from a minimum to a maximum speed and will then gradually slow down again during the feeding of each sheet. n v Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this application, and inY which. A Fig. l isa sectional elevation of feeding mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, the parts being shown inthe position in which the feeding mechanism which delivers the sheets to the folding devices is operating atl its slowest speed; ,v

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the parts operating at their highest or fastest speed; and Y .1

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The invention brieiiy described comprises two sets of feeding means, the first set with- 1 drawing the sheetsfrom a. stack or supply and feeding the sheets to the second feeding mechanism, which in turn delivers the sheets to the wrapping or folding devices. 'The rst set of feeding means is driven at a con- .stant speed `and the speed ofthe second set is variedfrom a rate corresponding to `and substantially the same` as the rate of operation of the first set to a` relatively high rate of speed and againback to the slow speed. The drivinglconne'ctions are so made that when a sheetisbeingwithdrawnfrom the first set of feeding means by the second set, the second, set of feeding means will operate at substantially the sam-e rate of speed as the first set. I-Iowever, after a sheet has been withdrawn from the first set by the second set, the secondset will be speeded up but willbe again slowed down to deliver the sheet at a slow speed. Y

Further details of the invention will appear fromv the following description.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, there is shown a hopper having a supply of sheets or wrappers 11 therein. The sheets or wrappers are fed, one at a time, from the bottom of the stack by a feeding member 12 mounted on a shaft 13 having thereon a gear 14 which meshes with a gear 15 carried by a drive shaft 16.

From the bottom of the stack the sheets are fed between a pair of feed rolls and 21 driven by gears 22 and 23 from the shaft 16. rI'he gear 22 meshes with the gear 15 and also meshes with the gear 23.

From the feed rolls 2O and'21, the sheets are fed between another' pair of feed rolls 21 and 24, the roll 24 being driven by a gear 25 which also meshes with the gear 22.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the sheets will be fed at af constant speed from the stack through the rolls 21 and 24.

From the feed rolls 21 and 24 the sheets are fed to feeding mechanism which consists of a pair of rolls and 31. During the period in the cycle of operation of the feed rolls 30 and 31 in which the sheet is being' withdrawn from the rolls 21 and 24, the rolls 30 and 31 are operated at substantially the same rate of speed as the rolls 21 and 24. This is necessary in order to prevent tearing of the sheets and to insure their being fed straight.

However, after the sheets have left the i feed rolls 21 and 24, it is essential for the operation of a high speed wrapping machine that the feed be speeded up. This is accomplished in the following manner: The shaft 16 has secured thereto a sprocket wheel 35 which is connected by a chain 36 to a sprocket wheel 37 secured to a shaft 38. Shaft 38 has also secured thereto, a disk 39 having projecting laterally therefrom, spaced bars 41 forming a slot therebetween. Another disk 43 is carried by a shaft 44 disposed eccentrically with referenceto the shaft. 38 and disk 39. A pin having thereon a roller 4() is eccentrically mounted on the disk 43 and is disposed in the slot formed by bars 41 on disk 39. The

Vshaft 44 is connected by a clutch 45 to a gear 46. Gear 46 meshes with a gear 50, which Vin turn meshes with a gear 51, the gears 50 and 51 being mounted on the shafts of the feed: rolls 30 and 31. y

The driving connections for the feed rolls 30 and 31 operate as follows: The. pin andv roller 40 and the disks 43 ars driven by the slot formed by bars 41. Zhen the disks, slot and roller are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the rolls 30 and 31 will be driven at substantially the same rate of speed' as the rolls 21 and 24. At this period in the cycle of operation of the feeding mechanism, p

a. sheet is being fed from the rolls 21 and 24 to the rolls 30 and 31 and is engaged' by both sets of rolls. As soon as the sheetA leaves the rolls2`1`V and 24, the rolls 30 and 31 are gradually speeded up. In Fig. 2 the disks are in the position or at the point in the cycle of operation of the feed rolls 30 and 31 in which these rolls are operated at their greatest speed. The variation in the rate of rotation of the driven disk 43 is due to the fact that the pin or roller 40 moves outwardly in the slot as the disks move from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2,v thus increasing the length of the driving arm, and moves inwardly in the s lot during the remaining portion of the revolution of the driving and driven disks.

Particular attention is directed to the fart that the change from slow to high speed is gradual, thus avoiding the placing of any sudden strain or stress on the driving connections, but at the same time providing the increased speed of operation for the feed rolls 30 and 31. At this point in the operation of the rolls, the sheet is being fed through the rolls'at the maximum speed. After the disks 39 and 43 reach this point in their rotation, the rate of feed is again gradually decreased until they again operate theV feed rolls 30 and 31 at a slow delivery speed. After the sheet has been fed through the rolls 301 and 31, the disks 39 and 43 will rotate through one revolution before another sheet reaches the feed rolls 30 and 31 and the cycle of operation is then repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the feeding mechanism comprising the rolls 30 and 31 will receive the sheet froml the feed rolls 21 and 24 at substantially the same rate of speed as the sheet is being fed by the rolls 21 and 24. However, after the sheet is free of the rolls 21 and 24, the rate of feedingthrough the rolls 30 and 31 will be gradually speeded up and is thereafter again slowedI down to deliver the sheets at aV relatively slow rate of speed.

Although one specilic embodiment of the invention has beenA particularly shown and described, it will be understood' that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, sheet feeding means, feeding mechanism for receiving the sheets from said feeding means and feeding the sheets, and driving mechanism for said feeding mechanism so arranged as to drive said mechanism at a relatively slow speed when said mechanism is receiving a sheet, to subsequently drive said mechanism at a high rate of speed` and to then deliver the sheet at a slow rate of speed.

2. In combination, sheet feeding means, feedingmechanism for receiving the sheets from said feeding means and feeding the sheets, constant speed drivingconnections for said feeding means, and driving connections for said feeding mechanism for driving said mechanism substantially at the constant speed of said feeding means during the sheet receiving portion of the cycle of operation thereof, to subsequently operate at a relatively high speed and to gradually slow down to a relatively slow rate of speed during the Sheet delivery portion of the cycle.

3. Feeding mechanism comprising a pair of feed rolls, and operative driving connections for operating said rolls from a slow initial speed during a portion of their feeding cycle to a high speed during another portion of the feeding cycle and back to a slow speed.

JOHN VAN BURE-N. 

